# Project 645351 — Prototyping

**Program element:** 0604858F — Tech Transition Program  
**Project:** 645351  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force  
**Appropriation:** 3600 — RDT&E, Air Force  
**Budget Activity:** 4 — Advanced Component Development & Prototypes  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604858F/645351  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604858F

## Summary

Project 645351 — Prototyping requests $62.6M in FY2027, 38% of the $166.1M requested for program element 0604858F, up 28% on FY2026. 2 R-2A activities decompose the request.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 150.5 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 49.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 62.6 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 131.9 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 111.3 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 138.5 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 151.9 |

> Estimate types are not summed. This project is one leaf of PE 0604858F; the PE total is the sum of its projects, never added to them.

## What project 645351 buys

The Prototyping project enables demonstrations of emerging technologies and warfighting concepts in an operational environment to determine and evaluate the competitive advantage against our adversaries, how the technology is integrated into the future fight, and acquisition pathways to deliver warfighter capabilities. Lifecycle prototyping investments focus on three major thrusts: (1) advancing capabilities of legacy weapon systems, (2) militarizing novel, mature commercial technologies, and (3) exploring partnerships with Department of the Air Force (DAF) Portfolio Acquisition Executives (PAEs) to rapidly transition technologies. Prototype project investments that advance capabilities of legacy weapon systems focus on kinetic energy effectors for base defense and expeditionary employment operations, autonomy enhancements, architecture development, and software-defined electronic warfare and communication capabilities. Prototype projects that seek to militarize novel, mature commercial technologies will focus on artificial intelligence, autonomy, cyber warfare capabilities, digital engineering, and novel weapon and aircraft technologies. Other areas may be pursued as the technology landscape evolves. This requirement supports performance of a full financial audit as required by title 10 U.S.C. Chapter 9A, Sec 240-D. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605833F, 0604858F, or 0605898F

**R-3 lines of work:** Product Development; Management Services.

## Activities (R-2A) — 2

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lifecycle Prototyping | 62.3 | 43.0 | 62.6 | +46% | [a0](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604858F/645351/a0) |
| Blended Wing Body - Next Generation Aircraft | 88.2 | 6.0 | 0.0 | −100% | — |

> Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. In the request year they partition this project exactly; in earlier years they can under-cover it.

### Lifecycle Prototyping

- In FY 2027, FAMM and ETV efforts transition to Program, 0604041F as the program has matured and transitioned to the Program Office. - In FY 2027, conduct rapid prototyping of new capabilities and technologies, furthering military proficiency through Government advancements, commercial technology, and DoW industry. Prototyping areas…

Full year-by-year narrative: https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604858F/645351/a0

### Blended Wing Body - Next Generation Aircraft

**FY2027 planned work.** - No planned activities for Blended Wing Body in FY 2027.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** - FY 2027 funding decreased compared to FY 2026 by $6.000 million due to programmatic adjustments within the RDT&E portfolio to improve resource efficiency.

**FY2026 plans — current year.** - Based on FY 2025 critical design activities, continue manufacture and assembly of full-scale prototype BWB aircraft for flight demonstration, leveraging significant private cost-share. - Continue to develop and utilize digital engineering and systems engineering tools for risk reduction of aircraft build. Based on prior year execution of systems integration lab efforts, conduct Systems Integration Review and subsequently integrate systems for final assembly of aircraft. Includes integration of flight control laws and flight systems, avionics, propulsion/power/fuel systems, and composite materials for non-cylindrical pressure vessel structures. - Continue to incorporate life-cycle sustainment cost considerations for digital thread. Flight test planning activities, to include airworthiness assessments for FAA experimental type certification, and continued support from FAA Military Certification Branch to establish path(s) toward certification of future military-derivative aircraft.

## What is NOT on this page

Congressional marks, the R-2 mission description and acquisition strategy, the industry vs government split of the whole request, and related program elements are recorded at **program-element** grain — an NDAA mark lands on a PE, never on a project. They are at https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604858F.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-2A/R-3, PE 0604858F project 645351 (PB PB2027).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0604858F")`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*